John Kline - Rixile Elixir
Dr. John Kline is an American musician and Clinical Psychologist. Known for his work as one half of the duo known as The Music Therapy Experiment (with Mark Christianson) as well as his solo career, Kline delights with a Progressive New Age sound that combines elements of Rock, Jazz and Classical. Today we are excited to share our thoughts on John Kline’s latest album, Rixile Elixir!
Rixile Elixir kicks off with the extremely melodic “Neurogenesis”, which is also the longest song on the album. Some brilliant guitar chops and an uplifting overall soundscape highlight this song, giving it a refreshing feel that sets the table well for the music that follows it. “Made It Home” follows and I thoroughly enjoy its subdued but deep vibe. Piano and guitar share the lead in this song, making a pleasant and even reflective statement. Third is “Happy Little Echoes”, a song that has a title that perfectly fits its name. This song has a genuinely happy feel to it and I think it will leave you feeling happy after listening; the layering in this song is absolutely perfect and I found myself getting lost in it each time I listened. The album’s title track, “Rixile Elixir”, follows and, interestingly enough, stands out as quite a bit different from the songs that have come so far. Contained inside this song is an impressively blistering guitar performance that absolutely steals the show, while the song as a whole has a frantic, fervent energy that is impossible to ignore.
Fifth from Rixile Elixir is “Friday Song”, a piece that perfectly incapsulates that typical Friday feeling. Uplifting in an almost magical way, this song shared feelings of hope and inspiration for the upcoming weekend ahead in a way that I feel like most working class folk will appreciate. Up next is “Agent of Change” which paints one of the most diverse sounding canvases on the album. Jazzy, spacey and richly appealing, I found myself frequently coming back to this song as I scribbled down notes for this article; it nearly has a darkness to it, though I believe I may simply be mistaking that for deepness. Guitar, bass and drums each get to have their own individual shining moment in this song as well, something delightfully unique among a well-blended and textured album. “Drive to Mobile” is seventh. A bouncy and almost bubbly song, this one is sure to make you want to get up and move with its unrelentingly upbeat energy.
“Water Song” is the eighth song from Rixile Elixir and it is incredibly captivating. This one sounds like the soundtrack to a day spent by the water - whether that is at a beach, on a river, or out at sea is left to the listener to decide, but I personally found myself imagining watching the ships go by during a relaxing day at the beach, almost in timelapse form. The penultimate track from the album is a rousing number, “To the Sky”. A splendid piano intro will hook you in while Kline’s brilliant guitar work takes over about a quarter of the way through the song and never looks back, driving the point home and, if you are like me, it will make you want to thrust your hands towards the sky. “Illusion (Life’s Dance)” closes out the album and it is a peaceful and reflective song that is full of vibrancy. I found this to be a great way to finish out the album as this song lets you bask in the glory of the songs that came before it while also making sure you pause and take it all in.
When I think about Rixile Elixir, I feel like it is more than just an album of music; it is a wave of expression in a way that I could see used as part of a film or television show score with its depth of emotion, rich textures and brilliant overall composition. During my first few listens through the album, I had to stop after each song and really reflect on what I had just heard, ever admiring the brilliant textures within the music as well as the way the music made me feel. While Kline’s guitar work took the lead and pushed this album forward, I must say I was equally impressed by the way in which the bass work also drove the songs along. Although my experience with psychology begins and ends with a mere handful of college courses, I also feel like Kline is infusing his professional knowledge into this music as I found myself feeling quite delighted and refreshed while listening to most of this album, a reprieve of sorts from my normal cognitive state, and I think that is incredibly special.
In the end, Rixile Elixir is an incredibly special album and each song is worth diving headfirst into. You can keep up with John Kline through Facebook and also check out The Music Therapy Experiment through that project’s Facebook and Reverbnation pages. We have Rixile Elixir embedded below via Spotify - take a listen!
